Trigun: Angel's Bloom
by SillyPlatypus
Summary: He's struggling to keep moving. The sun is harsh as usual, but the strain on his body is pushing him to the limit. He's losing too much blood. Time seems of no consequence to him and his brother.
1. Chapter 1: The Sun So Harsh

Disclaimer: This is strictly a fanfiction of the anime series Trigun. I do not own any of the characters part of the original anime release. I highly recommend that you be familiar with the Trigun anime series if you wish to understand the references I make throughout my fanfiction. Some of the references are very subtle and you may not quite catch them if you do not immediately remember a specific episode. Have fun!

* * *

~Some distant memory.

Knives and Vash are both charging their angelarms ready to fire off.

Knives: You're not a human being. You're a plant.

Vash: I know that.

Knives: You're a superior being.

Vash: I disagree.

A blinding light envelopes and a huge creator is made. After their last moments in battle, Vash gains the upperhand and shoots Knives through Knives' limbs. Knives is on the ground gasping for air. Vash pulls his handgun directly at Knives gasping for breath. The handgun's hammer is cocked ready to fire off the last round in the gun's chamber.

Vash: I.. I will SURVIVE!

(BANG)

Vash fired off the last round and everything grew silent around him. Tears start rolling down his cheeks and he stares off into the sky. Knives lays sprawled on the floor with his eyes closed.

Vash: From now on Rem, I will make my own future. Thank you...

Vash unbuckles his red suit and throws it in the air. He reaches into his leather sack and retrieves several bottles of alchol and bandages. He sits next to Knives' body and starts disinfecting his wounds. Vash peers over Knives' body with a sullen stare and tears up.

Vash: Knives.. I'm sorry. I know _Steve_ put you through hell.. but I'll stay with you and help you see what I have seen.

Vash continues disinfecting his bullet wounds and coughs up blood multiple times. His complexion grows pale and he feels through his hair. He pulls out a strand of his hair and looks at it. It's a shade of darker blonde than what he's normally seen. Vash glances over to Knives' body and notices Knives' hair is also noticeably a shade darker. Vash stands up and peers at his brother's body. He grabs a bottle of alcohol and drinks a small swig and spits it onto a rag. Vash begins disinfecting Knives wounds, and Knives' pale face reanimates to show discomfort. Vash hears Rem's last words before he and Knives evacuated the S.E.E.D.S. escape ship, "Vash. Take care of Knives." Vash finishes cleaning his brother's wounds and his own and he walks back to the town closest to Dimitri. Vash carries Knives' body enduring mild sandstorms and frigid nights. Vash traveled about 25 iles the first day after fightining Knives, and rested for the night.

Knives: I don't understand.. why do you still choose them over me dearest brother?

Vash: I don't expect you to understand, but I want you to give them a chance. Knives I want you to come with me, I'm going to take care of you.

Knives: Give garbage like that a chance?

Vash: They're not garbage, I'm responsible for what happened to us.

Knives: ... It's that bitch's constant lecturing-

Vash: Don't say that! If it weren't for _her_, none of us would have made it here as safely as we did!

Knives: You've been with those parasites for far too long!

Vash: She told me, before she left us to take care of you. That was her last wish.

Knives: ... But, what are you saying.. (sigh)

Vash: Knives? Are you okay?

Knives closes his eyes and falls asleep. Vash can't make out what Knives' last words. He continues to carry Knives' body through dawn until he finally arrives at the small town he last left Meryl.

* * *

~Flashpresent.

Vash:... AAGHH... AAAAAAH!

Meryl:Vash! Vash! Vash get a hold of yourself, wake up!

Vash wakes up in a cold sweat. Blood is pouring out of his wounds and metal stubs. Vash's facial hair had grown, and his hair is a tangled mess. Meryl collects Vash's old blood soaked bandages and carries them away. Vash stops screaming and glances over at Meryl's sillohoute. He has trouble focusing his eyesight, but as he peers outside through a nearby window he notices the sun is shining bright ready to set off into Eden.

Meryl: Vash... you have to pull yourself together.

* * *

~Flashback to the aftermath of Vash and Knives' encounter.

Vash is weeping and wimpering in pain. Upon returning to Meryl from his encounter with Kinves, Vash managed to carry Knives' body about 40 iles back to town. Meryl was completely overwhelmed with joy and fear at seeing Vash's figure peering through the dust cloud off in the distance. Milly is still working on her shift at the local well. Earlier on in the day the town's welling team found an underground water reservoir. Everyone's clothing was still soaked from the shower the well brought up from the ground. Vash was gasping for air and ready to collapse under the strain of carrying Knives' body. Vash starts to smile a little and gestures towards Meryl. "I didn't keep you waiting too long did I?," he asks. Locals run to Vash and help him carry Knives' body inside the home Meryl and Milly are staying in. Relieved of Knives' body, Vash stands six feet away from Meryl's and he takes one step with a big grin on his face and tears running down his eyes. "AAAHAHAHAHA, I'm alive! Uh" Vash screams. The moment he plants his foot, he collapses and he passes out on the ground. Meryl immediately rushes over to Vash's body and locals help her bring his body to her residence. Vash's wounds have not closed properly and soak into Meryl's clothing. A crimson red bleeds through Vash's bandages and for nearly two months Vash is in limbo while his wounds close. Milly continues working with the well team and Meryl continues working at the local bar to scrape together whatever money they can make to pay for Vash and Knives' medical expenses and their residence. Vash's doctors are deeply concerned with his recovery because they report his wounds will not be able to close properly. He had too much strain on his body carrying Knives to the town. An ordinary man would have long been dead from the blood loss Vash suffered on his journey. Knives was making a speedy recovery because Vash managed to properly treat Knives' wounds in time and prevent anymore blood loss. For the next month Vash would cough up blood and suffer convulsions from the pain he experiences while his body recovers. Local doctors report that Vash may die within the next few weeks if his wounds did not close, but Vash recovers after the first month without any complications. To the doctors' astonishment Vash's symptoms and wounds start vanishing and soon he's resting in bed, but still needs time to recover. Meryl tends to his metal stubs that were grafted onto Vash's body. Meryl must change his bandages every few hours a day as Vash's wounds close.

* * *

~Flashpresent.

Vash: Knives... where is he! I need to see my brother.

Meryl: He's still resting.. he hasn't woken up yet.

Vash: How long has it been?

Meryl: The two of you were were asleep for at least two months.. Knives woke up about a week ago and he tried to get up but he didn't have enough strength.

* * *

~Flashback to Meryl treating Knives' wounds, one month three weeks into their return.

Knives: Who are you..?

Meryl: That's enough, you need to get some rest this instant!

Knives: Dirty..

Meryl: I said that's enough! If you don't want to rest, I won't stop you, but you're not going to leave this place.

Knives: Why... why are you doing this?

Meryl: He told me.. he told me what you're responsible for.

Knives: Then what's stopping you.. KILL ME. KILL ME YOU WORTHLESS PARASITE LIKE YOU KILLED MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS!

(Meryl slaps Knives across the face and leaves a handprint. Knives falls silent and stares away from her gaze with a glare.)

Meryl: He told me what the two of you are capable of, I'm sorry what happened to you and him. But to me you are a living being, and that's all that matters right now. I know you hate me for what I am, but that doesn't mean I'm going to leave someone that Vash cares about to die.

Knives: ... tch. (Knives closes his eyes, and falls asleep.)

* * *

~Flashpresent

(Vash coughs up phelgm from his throat and dries his cold sweat with a nearby rag)

Vash: Thank you for everything you've done Meryl. Where's Milly?

Meryl: Milly is fine, please go back to sleep Vash.

Vash: Knives?

(Meryl grabs Vash's hand and looks deep into his eyes. She gently brings her hand to Vash's cheek.)

Meryl: You're not ready yet.. not yet. Vash please go back to sleep. I'm begging you.

Vash: Hahah I will if you wouldn't mind bringing me a fresh set of a baker's dozen!

Meryl starts to tear up and clasps her hands over her face. She sniffles and Vash pulls her head to his chest and stares off into the room that Knives is resting in. "I'll do my best, I'll do my best to show him a whole new world," he says. Meryl touches Vash's hands and stands up from his bed and walks away. Meryl rubs her eyes and regains her composure, and stares at Vash with a vibrant new smile.

Meryl: Promise me that you'll get some more rest, I'll bring the donuts next to your bed Vash.

Vash closes his eyes and goes to sleep once more.

* * *

~Flashforward to 2 more weeks.

The_ box of donuts_ still rests at Vash's bedside.

"Wake up..", Vash has his eyes closed, and he hears the unmistakable sound of a gun cock. Vash's eyes open wide in shock. Knives is at Vash's bedside with a handgun cocked and aimed directly at Vash's temple. Knives stares down at Vash with a blood lust smile.

Vash: ! Where.. WHERE ARE THEY?

* * *

Preview: "I'm going to name the baby Nicholas!"


	2. Chapter 2: Rebuild

Disclaimer: This is strictly a fanfiction of the anime series Trigun. I do not own any of the characters part of the original anime release. I highly recommend that you be familiar with the Trigun anime series if you wish to understand the references I make throughout my fanfiction. Some of the references are very subtle and you may not quite catch them if you do not immediately remember a specific episode. Have fun!

* * *

Vash: Where! WHERE ARE THEY!

Knives: Goodbye dearest brother.

(Click).

Knives pulls the trigger and the sound of an empty chamber brings relief to Vash's face. Knives twirls the handgun in his hand and hands the gun butt first to Vash. Vash glares at Knives with tears welling up in his eyes.

Vash: Did you?-

Knives: What? End their miserable lives? No.

Vash: Then?

Knives: The shorter woman-

Vash: Meryl!

Knives: Right... this Meryl took the taller women to a local doctor. The tall woman was complaining of stomach pains, and she was rushed from this home not too long ago.

Vash was gasping for breath from the shock of being woken up by Knives. Knives knelt over and sat at Vash's bedside.

Knives: Hey Vash, this changes nothing between us. But I'll stay with you from now on.

Vash: Knives..

Knives: That woman, I mean Meryl is something different. Vash don't the humans hate us?

Vash: It's not that simple Knives. There are many people here, but not all are like him.

Knives: I always thought he wanted to kill me, there was no turning back. It was either them, or us. I had to make the most logical decision to make sure we would live on.

Vash: I disagree Knives. You may not want to hear it, but we owe them for what they given us. We can enjoy freedom to roam about. Rem, the crew!-

Knives: You say that at the cost of our brothers and sisters? To allow those scum to keep draining our bretherin to the core and discard them like trash?

Vash: No matter how you look at it, we are plants, but we are also able to make our own Eden and live in harmony with what scarce life there is here.

Knives: I don't understand. That woman, she could have done away with me. She told me she knew everything.. everything that went on. Why?

Vash: Knives that's enough. Where are they?

Knives: Meryl took the tall woman with her to a doctor's office nearby. Here, I repaired them, remember these are our children.

Vash: I don't want anymore of this.

Knives: You reject our children? Vash don't be so crude. Do as you will, but when you're ready I have something I need to show you.

Vash: We aren't meant for destruction Knives! Why do you keep going on like this?

Knives: No, no more destruction. I want to see what life we can create from these guns.

Knives takes his black handgun out of his holster, and points it at Vash. At gunpoint Knives smiles at Vash once more. "I'm sorry brother," Knives says as his gun transforms into an angelarm similar to their last fight. "You know, you really had me going there for a long while Vash," Knives' angelarm begins generating a blinding light that lights up the entire room. Vash closes his eyes and screams out, "Knives NOOOOO!"

* * *

~30 minutes earlier in a doctor's office.

Doc: Ms. Thompson should really refrain from anymore streinous activity. This is the fifth time we see each other in the past month is it not?

Meryl: Yeah, thank you for seeing her Doc.

Doc: I'm serious Ms. Stryfe, if she keeps this up she might end up losing it. I had the nurses admit her to the recovery ward. But I don't want to see her near the wells anymore, do I make myself clear?

Meryl glances at the recovery ward across the office from within the Doc's office. "Milly..," she mumbles. "I understand."

Doc: She's a very fortunate woman for her stature. The bleeding would not cease and I was afraid she was going to pass away from going into shock.

Meryl: Has she been eating?

Doc: My my, I'm afraid she's going to run us high and dry at the rate she's been eating, and she has such a craving for ice cream!

Meryl: Hahah! That sounds like Milly alright.

Doc: I'm serious Ms. Stryfe, no more work at the water well, she's too far in her state to maintain a difficult job.

* * *

~Flashback.

Nicholas: He kept saying there was another option, but I just didn't see it in time! I saved his ass yet one more time and he comes at me with his childish bullshit! I had no alternative I had to choose one, or the other. It's so strange, where did I go wrong.. I've always chosen the right path, haven't I?

Wolfwood is crying in frustration and anger. He had just shot dead one of the Gun Ho Guns not too long ago, Zanzie the Beast. Vash and him had an argument whether Zanzie would have shot Vash, or not. Milly is with Wolfwood trying to console him. Wolfwood had been alone the entire day after the incident and retreated to a small abandoned home. Milly prepares coffee and tries to comfort Wolfwood. Milly gives Wolfwood a cup of black coffee and they're sitting on a couch in front of a small coffee table.

Milly: You know, Mr. Vash has always been like that. He always says that there's no need to kill anyone.

Nicholas: How on earth can he live like this! I just don't understand him. He said there was another option, but had I not shot him (Zanzie)... I just wanted to protect him!

Wolfwood is grasping the coffee and trembling and bursting into tears. Milly is rubbing his back and with an empathic stare holds him close to her. Out of frustration Wolfwood throws his coffee across the floor and cries into Milly's body.

Milly: There, there. You need to eat and drink something to keep your strength up.

Nicholas: (Sniffling) Would you please eat with me?

Milly and Nicholas slept together. Nicholas subsequently died the following day and passed away. He sustained lethal wounds from his mentor while engaging in a gunfight. Unknown to Milly, she is impregnated and carries Nicholas' and her infant. Milly was not aware of her pregnancy until she began working for the well team prior to Vash's departure to find Knives. Around the time that Meryl and Milly carry Vash's wounded body, Milly is approximately one month pregnant. She has a near spontaenous abortion from the injuries she sustained during her capture by people possessed by Legato Bluesummers. During her stay with Meryl at the small town, she experiences sharp pains in her abdomen and on several of the five occasions she's admitted to the local doctor's office she bleeds copious amounts of blood. Milly and Meryl learn that she is pregnant the first time she is admitted to the local Doc's office complaining about abdominal pains, and missing her period for quite some time now. Milly continued working with the well team because Meryl's job as a waitress at the local bar did not make enough double dollars to pay for their overhead and Vash's medical supplies. Much to Meryl's protests and stubborn ego, Milly asked for milder work and less hours because she grew more and more frail with each episode she was admitted to the hospital.

* * *

~Flashpresent to the Doc's office.

Meryl: Uhm Doc, may I see Milly?

Doc: She still needs her rest Ms. Stryfe, but you may for a few minutes.

Meryl and the Doc walk over to the recovery ward. "And how are those two blonde men doing Ms. Stryfe?" "Oh, Vash is still struggling to recover, he's made great improvement, but some of his wounds aren't closing properly.." Meryl says as she blushes and bites down on her lower lip sorrowly. "Ooh, and the other blonde man?" the Doc says as he glances over to see Meryl's face. "His name is Knives, he's doing just fine. He's been conscious for the last few weeks, and his wounds have just about recovered without any complications thanks to your help Doc." Meryl and the Doc step their way through the recovery ward and walk up to Milly's bed. Milly's eyes are bright and she's staring at a small flower in a vase on top of a small table near her bedside. She's hugging her belly and smiling. She glances over at Meryl and the Doc.

Doc: Ms. Thompson how do you expect to get better when you're not resting. I'm looking at the chart at your table and the nurse said you hadn't sleep since the last time she was here.

Milly: Well Doc, how can I, there's a beautiful flower right in front of me and the sun is glowing warmly. Hi Meryl! It's real nice to see you!

Meryl: Hi Milly how are you feeling?

Milly: Just dandy! You know I had a dream about him the other night.. and I, I think I finally decided on naming my baby!

Meryl: Milly...

Milly: I know with what I've been putting myself through, I put the baby and myself at risk, but that's going to change. I'm not as afraid as I used to be when he was still alive. This baby brought me a lot of sorrow because it reminds me of him, but I've finally decided I want to keep it. Meryl I'm going to name the baby Nicholas!

Doc: Oh my goodness! What's that!

Meryl glances over at the window across from Milly's bedside and a blinding light builds up from the distance. Meryl's pupil's shrink, she recognizes the very light from the day Vash shot a hole in the fifth moon. Meryl screams, "Everyone get down and take cover!" as she grabs Milly and tries to shield Milly's body. The Doc immediately lowers his body, and the other patients look at Meryl in a startled stupor. "It can't be, it just can't, Knives you promised!" Meryl cries and holds onto Milly.

Milly: Meryl! What's going on! Is that-

Meryl: Milly shut up and cover your head!

* * *

Hello everyone, for those that read, I would really appreciate any feedback on my writing. This is the second time I post on this site and I've been really amazed by the work other contributors have posted on this site. I'm open to criticism, especially helpful advice. Thanks! :)

Preview: "'Just like that, I'll see you soon Vash..' Knives mumbled as he closed his eyes and laid on the floor..."


End file.
